TSPSC paper leak: Authorities to take call on cancelling exam after emergency meet

On Tuesday, Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), the youth wing of the BJP, called for a protest in front of the TSPSC office in Hyderabad.
Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha protest in front of the TSPSC office in Hyderabad
Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha protest in front of the TSPSC office in Hyderabad
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In light of the question paper leak, the Telangana State Public Service Commission (TSPSC) will hold an emergency meeting on Tuesday, March 14 to decide whether to cancel the examination held for the recruitment of Assistant Engineers to various departments. Nine people were arrested by the Hyderabad police on Monday for their alleged involvement in the question paper leak.

On Tuesday, tension between the police and Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), the youth wing of the BJP, erupted after the latter called for a protest in front of the TSPSC office in Hyderabad. Several protesters bearing flags of the party tried to enter the building by jumping over the office gates. The protesters also damaged the TSPSC board at the entrance.

“The TSPSC chairman must be suspended and a proper enquiry must be ordered. Thousands of aspirants from rural and backward areas prepare for the exams for several years. Then they wait for the exam notifications. The government is playing with their future,” protesters told the media. Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and youth Congress too, staged a protest at TSPSC office. Several protesters were detained by the police.

According to Kiran Khare, Deputy Commissioner of Police (South West), a complaint from the TSPSC Assistant Secretary (administration) was received at Begum Bazar police station on March 11. The Commissioner's Task Force Central Zone arrested nine suspects including two employees of TSPSC and a police constable who are accused of stealing and leaking the TSPSC question papers for monetary benefits. Based on the police report on the investigations conducted so far, TSPSC will decide on cancelling the exam.

Meanwhile, TSPSC has suspended the accused P Praveen Kumar and Rajasekhar Reddy with immediate effect. Praveen was working as Assistant Section Officer (ASO) and Rajasekhar was working as a network expert on an outsourcing basis. Both have been working at TSPSC since 2017.

According to the police, Praveen and Rajasekhar gained access to the confidential section officer's computer system. They shared the papers for the position of assistant engineer (civil) with some applicants by copying the question papers onto four pen drives.

"We have sent the computers and hard disks seized from the accused to a forensic laboratory for analysis," Kiran Khare told the media.

Among those detained is a former teacher and her husband who made a deal with Praveen for Rs 10 lakh in order to support her brother Rajeshwar Naik, who was taking the exam. Rajeshwar Naik, in exchange for Rs 13.50 lakh, gave the question papers to two additional candidates who were allegedly recommended by a police constable.

Police also seized four pen drives, three laptops, one desktop PC, seven mobile phones and an Apple IPad from the accused.

TSPSC had conducted the examination on March 5 for 833 openings in various engineering departments for Assistant Engineer, Municipal Assistant Engineer, Technical Officer, and Junior Technical Officer. A total of 55,000 candidates had appeared for the exam.

Recruitment exams for the positions of Town Planning Building Overseer, scheduled for March 12, and Veterinary Assistant Surgeon, scheduled for March 15 and 16, have already been postponed by the Commission. Police are looking into whether the accused leaked questions from previous recruitment exams.

With IANS inputs

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